Evaluating waste management practices of street vendors in the informal settlement of Cape Town: a case study of Khayelitsha

Despite being classified as informal, street vendors play a crucial role in urban economies. Street selling and rubbish picking are the primary occupations engaged in by those affected by unregulated urbanization. These activities also subject them to other waste-related challenges within the outdoor setting. This waste is not properly disposed of, which in turn poses threats to the environment and public health. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the waste management practices of street vendors in Cape Town’s informal settlements. Subsequently, to achieve this objective the current study collected qualitative and quantitative data using a structured questionnaire research tool featuring a series of questions used to collect useful information from street vendors. Moreover, the purposive sampling technique was used in this regard to collect data given that this method is time and cost-effective. The quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Product for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 whilst qualitative data used thematic analysis. The result of the current study indicates that the majority of the street vendors (40%) dump waste illegally behind the stalls and in an open space. This is not startling given that the vending business venture is predominantly characterized by individuals with secondary education or no formal education at all. Therefore, it was not surprising that only a small percentage of street vendors (12.3%) systematically manage their waste. The current discovery shows that street vendors in the informal settlements of Cape Town need environmental education to understand the importance of systematically managing waste and the risks associated with the indiscriminate dumping of refuse.